Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle Project Co-ordinator

Closing Date: 10am Monday 11th March

30 hours per week, fixed term contract from 

April 2024 until 31st January 2027

Salary Scale: £27,000 per annum (pro rata £21,600). 

This will increase by 5% on 1st January each year.

Going Wild is a part of Lightfoot (see below) and was formed by members of the Bishop’s Castle community as a response to the climate and biodiversity crisis which we face.  Going Wild is committed to improving the Shropshire town of Bishop’s Castle and its immediate environs for biodiversity and to bringing wildlife into the lives of those living in Bishop’s Castle and visiting the town.

Going Wild aims to enhance public green space, private gardens and nearby farmland, working closely with the Town Council, schools, local businesses, landowners to make all of these spaces richer in biodiversity. Going Wild aims to engage local people of all demographics in this endeavour and to increase the skills within the community to record and manage species and habitats.

Lightfoot is a not-for-profit organisation whose principal activity is to promote sustainable use of the Earth’s resources for the benefit of the public and the environment. An initiative of Bishop’s Castle-based Wasteless Society, Lightfoot Enterprises was incorporated in 2008 and became a registered charity in 2013. Lightfoot operates in the Welsh Marches, covering parts of Powys, Herefordshire and Shropshire. There are many local community initiatives that operate within this area and the organisation aims to share and spread ideas and good practice across the whole region, acting as a hub for environmentally-focused activity in Bishop’s Castle and beyond and a trusted partner for many cross-border organisations. Lightfoot supports local actions that increase knowledge and understanding of the Climate and Ecological Emergency that we all face, and are supported by a knowledgeable and experienced Board.

Going Wild will build on the evidence of two years of voluntary work to increase the size, biodiversity and interconnectedness of the town’s green spaces; making them Bigger, Better, More and Joined Up, increasing engagement and empowering people to act for positive community-based environmental change. 

Working on 35 sites, and actively managing up to 20, the project will engage the local community and encourage action, both at home and through organised activity. The project will create a ‘big vision’ allowing everyone to contribute, from a plant pot to a pond, focusing on the power of collective action to improve local green spaces and build community connections. 

The project will work across the community and across demographics to engage, extending project involvement beyond existing volunteer groups to encourage involvement from disengaged areas of the community and develop social prescribing potential. Community members will be empowered to contribute to the biodiversity of their green spaces and providing opportunities to get up close and personal with nature. 

Going Wild will create a Biodiversity Toolkit to allow wider communities to benefit from the project with a template for action. This will demonstrate how this kind of activity can succeed and where to start. Town and Parish Councils do not know how to respond to the biodiversity and climate emergencies and this toolkit, coupled with talks and other training, will provide a practical starting point. 

Working with the Going Wild steering group (who will actively support the officer), to provide simple management plans for public spaces within Bishop’s Castle. To engage the community of Bishop’s Castle with nature through a series of events, articles and talks, using face-to-face and digital methods to reach as many people as possible. To run regular activities for volunteers which will include taster sessions, work parties, a children’s/young people’s wildlife club and a series of winter talks in the town hall. The post holder will plan, organise, manage and deliver this programme of activities and public facing events with a specific focus on nature-based volunteer involvement and participation. 

The following duties are not our exhaustive list but are an indication of the responsibilities of the post-holder. 

• Help to recruit and then manage the Going Wild Project Assistant with support from the Going Wild steering group and staff at Enterprise House.

• Recruit, manage and train new groups of volunteers to undertake regular conservation tasks in and around Bishop’s Castle. Plan and deliver monthly conservation tasks, suitable for volunteers with a range of training and ability. Budgets exist to pay for specialist input.

• Work with owners and managers of land to create simple management plans for minimum 20 of the previously identified 33 green spaces including a map, a monthly work plan and a three-year work plan.  Ecological advice and information is available.

• Recruit children and young people to join a Going Wild club and run regular activities, liaising with existing local clubs such as the scouting groups. Work closely with both schools to improve their grounds and engage pupils.

• Be responsible for the project resources (protective clothing, tools and stocks of materials) and for ensuring they are maintained and replaced as appropriate. 

• Attend a range of community events in the area to promote the project and to recruit new volunteers. These will include events such as the Carnival and Michaelmas Fair and on occasion, town council meetings.

• Organise and deliver taster events to engage people. Run a series of winter talks in the town hall to be followed by summer activities outdoors. Budgets exist to pay for specialist input. 

• Plan and deliver a rolling programme of publicity and promotion across a range of media to encourage involvement with the project and to galvanise people to action in their own homes and gardens. 

 • Produce a Toolkit to enable other communities to undertake similar work, whilst this will be of interest to individuals and groups it will be particularly aimed at Town and Parish Councils needing to respond to the climate and biodiversity crises.  Specialist input will be available.

• Work in partnership with other groups and organisations engaged in nature conservation and in increasing public wellness. These will include Restoring Shropshire’s Verges Project, Stepping Stones, Social Prescribing and Caring for God’s Acre. 

 

• Ensure volunteers and learners receive valuable experience and training plus enjoyment and a sense of achievement and that all of the activities adhere to H&S procedures

• Working with Enterprise House and Lightfoot staff, keep a record of the budget, cashflow and spend and prepare financial information in the form requested by the funders.

• Produce regular written reports for funders and the Going Wild steering group. 

• Identify and seek funding opportunities for enhanced project delivery and ongoing legacy and, working with the steering group, prepare grant bids and seek sponsorship to secure further funding.  The steering group will actively support this. 

General

• Keep records of work undertaken and log time.

• Report regularly to the steering group and the funders 

• Assist line manager and Lightfoot staff with reporting to the funders.

• Carry out any other reasonable duties to perform job role.

Going Wild and Lightfoot are committed to a strategy for the training and development of its staff. The responsibility for training and development is shared between individual members of staff and the organisation. Each member with receive induction training to provide basic knowledge of his or her job and the organisation. Continuing training will also be offered in the form of in-house training or attendance at external courses for skills and personal development as individual needs are identified.

Hours: The funding is for a total of 30 hours per week. This does not include lunchtime and other breaks during the day. This will involve some weekend and evening duties for which time off in lieu will be given.

Location: There is office space within Enterprise House, located at Station Street, Bishop’s Castle, SY9 5AQ. A combination of office and home working is possible, to be agreed with your line manager.

Notice period: There will be an initial probationary period of 3 months following which an appraisal will be made. If successful, a notice period of one month from either side will be required.

Annual leave: 25 days plus Bank Holidays pro rata.

Expenses: Car users will be reimbursed at 45p per mile and all out of pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the project will be reimbursed subject to satisfactory accounting.

Pension: Lightfoot offers a work-based pension to employees; you can choose to opt out of this.

Line Management: Enterprise House will provide the line management responsibilities with support from the steering group.

https://lightfootenterprises.org/going-wild-in-bc/

Application deadline: 10am Monday 11th March

Please send a covering outlining why you are a good fit for the job and accompanying CV (including two referees) 

F.A.O. Going Wild in Bishop’s Castle, Enterprise House, Station Street, Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire, SY9 5AQ

or email to manager@enterprisehouse.org.uk 

Interviews will take place in Bishop’s Castle on Tuesday 19th and Thursday 21st March 2024 and if short-listed you will hear from us by 15th March.